Electronic gaming devices, also sometimes referred to as “slot machines”, have been known for many years. Currently these gaming devices are operated as stand-alone devices, linked games or terminals operated from a server, either on a thin client (most processing taking place at the server) or thick client (most processing taking place at the terminal) basis. By stand-alone what is meant is that the gaming device is self contained and does not rely on input or play from other gaming devices or a server for the play of the game. Linked gaming devices rely to an extent on other gaming devices. For example, devices may be linked to provide for one or more progressive jackpots or for shared, community play. Server based play relates to server based gaming where a server, at least in some respects, controls the play of games at the gaming devices. For example where the devices act as a thin client the server receives inputs and randomly selects symbols/numbers for presentation of outcomes at the devices. Alternatively the server may assemble sets of outcomes, e.g. lottery tickets, which are delivered to the devices for display of an outcome. This version is often referred to as central determination systems. Still further in a Bingo application the server may select Bingo outcomes which are displayed (or translated into the display) of outcomes at the gaming device.
Regardless of the arrangement of the gaming devices many modern gaming devices provide features in addition to a base game. For example, a player playing a base game may trigger a feature. The player of the base game may obtain one or more symbols during the play of the base game which “triggers” the feature. The feature may require player selections, provide a series of free base games, provide a multiplier for a series of free games or present an entirely different game experience. The feature provides the player with an opportunity to win credits in addition to any win of the base game, with or without the player having to make an additional wager. As but one example, a player playing a video gaming device base game may be presented with an outcome which provides a win and pay for the base game outcome as well as triggering a feature such as selection from a set of unrevealed bonuses ranging from x to y. The player would be prompted to and would select from the selection set x-y and the bonus(es) would be revealed and won by the player. The bonus may be an award of credits, free games, multipliers, a combination of the foregoing, or other feature to entertain a player. In another example the play of the base game may trigger a feature representing by a series of free spins where any wins are paid at a multiple of the normal pay schedule for the game. The base game may trigger a feature embodied as a second game which is played such as spinning of a wheel or interactive play such as a series of events controlled in whole or in part by player input.
As is apparent gaming machines have been created which offer various base games and features. These games also offer different returns-to-player (RTP) usually designated as a theoretical percentage. Some regulated gaming jurisdictions set minimum RTPs such as 80% which means for every dollar wagered theoretically 80 cents will be returned to the player. The RTP for a game is configured by pairing the various statistical frequencies a designated winning combination will occur with the award and summing the results. The base game and any award from a feature contribute to the calculation of the game's RTP. On a casino floor there may be games with the same theme which have different RTPs (usually as a result of changing the award for certain outcomes) as well as different games altogether with varying RTPs. The different types of features as well as different theoretical awards for the same feature varies constrained only by jurisdictional constraints and the creativity of game designers.
Some gaming systems link gaming machines and provide one or more progressive bonuses for play of the game. These progressives, depending upon the configuration of the game, may be won during a base game or any enabled feature such as, for example, where the progressive is based upon combinations of symbols and where the feature consists of free spins. For example, the feature may be a certain number of free spins of the base game (or a version of the base game having different symbol sets to increase the hit frequency and/or return to player (RTP)) and one or more progressive jackpots may be won based upon symbols obtained. Hence a progressive could be won during the feature. Determining the RTP for such games includes taking into account the contribution to the RTP by the offering of one or more progressive jackpots.
Some gaming systems have secondary games which may be considered as features which are either (1) not based upon the player receiving triggering symbol combinations during the base game or (2) are based upon a determination by the system or controller rather than the gaming device. For example the feature may be triggered on a mystery basis such as described in Olive, U.S. Pat. No. 7,582,014 titled “Slot Machine Game and System With Improved Jackpot Feature” or Torango U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,460 titled “Progressive Wagering System” (the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference) where the feature trigger is randomly determined and the odds of receiving the bonus is proportional to the wager. The feature award may be by credits or the play of the feature resulting in the award of credits. An example of a system determined mystery bonus is Acres U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,961 titled “Method for Operating Networked Linked Gaming Devices” or U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,882 titled “Method and Apparatus for Operating Networked Linked Gaming Devices” (the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference) where the contribution from the linked gaming machines which causes the progressive bonus pool to equal a selected amount triggers a bonus to the contributing gaming device. These types of bonuses are typically referred to as mystery bonuses since they are not based on the symbols the player receives during play of the base game; hence to the player the basis for the award is a mystery. These awards are typically an award of credits to the player.
Turning from the general description of bonuses and features above, there is disclosed in the art a system for a player to save a game state for later play or play on the same or a different machine presenting the same game. Tarantino et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,047 titled “Computer-Controlled Gaming Apparatus and Method” describes a dice game where a player builds outcomes to complete categories of outcomes. According to this reference a player may save and store the game progress state for later use. Inasmuch as the game is a specific dice game, the saved game state (where the player is in the game in progress) cannot be used for different gaming machines offering a different game. Commonly owned Luciano, Jr. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/940,945 titled “Transferred Enhanced Gaming Play Features” describes another application of the broad principle of saving a game state.
The difficulty encountered in saving game states is application of a saved game state from one machine of a certain configuration to another gaming machine of a different configuration. For example if a player has won an opportunity to participate in a feature which consists of free games on a first gaming device and desires to save and then use the opportunity to play a different game on a second gaming device where the game feature is the selection from a set of unrevealed prizes instead of free games, such a transfer could not be accommodated since the features are different and have different contributions to the RTPs for the games. This problem has detracted from the utility of providing the player with the freedom to save and transfer an earned game state.
In addition to earning of a feature opportunity it would be advantageous if a gaming operator could provide, as a loyalty reward or as a result of a casino-wide game, a feature opportunity to players who could exercise the feature at a plurality of machines of their choosing.
There is a need for a system, apparatus and method which enables a player to save, at one gaming device having a first configuration, an opportunity for playing a feature game and which enables the player to exercise the saved opportunity on a second gaming device having the same or a different, feature game, configuration. This feature permits a player to accumulate feature opportunities at one or more gaming devices and then exercise those feature game plays at different gaming machines which may have, for example, a different feature presentation and award configuration.
There is also a need to provide awards of feature to players as a marketing tool and/or by a system or controller as all or part of a mystery award.